Free agency in the NBA will begin on Friday, June 30, at 6 p.m. New York time, and it will be a very important time for the Los Angeles Lakers, as they look to take the final steps toward another world championship.
They reportedly want to retain as much of their current team as possible, which would mean re-signing Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and likely D’Angelo Russell. If they do so, they may still look to make an addition or two.
No matter which direction the Lakers will go in, they will need to make sure they have solid depth at the center position, even if they keep playing Anthony Davis exclusively at that spot.
At the end of the regular season, Los Angeles picked up veteran big man Tristan Thompson. Although he barely played, when he did get onto the court, he showed that he may still have something left in the tank.
Would he be a good signing for the Purple and Gold this summer?
The case for
The best example of what Thompson could offer the Lakers moving forward came in their final playoff game: Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals versus the Denver Nuggets.
He played some effective defense on Nikola Jokic, and on offense, he got a couple of easy baskets simply by being active.
Thompson has always been an effective rebounder and defender, and although he isn’t a scoring threat, he can get a few garbage baskets every now and then just based on his energy.
He is 32 years of age, so he isn’t exactly old, and he should be available for the veteran’s minimum salary. In addition, he has played with LeBron James in the past on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the two reached the NBA Finals in each of their four seasons together.
The case against
If the Lakers move on from Mo Bamba, they will need a solid true center who is defensive-minded and a good rebounder, and it must be someone who can provide up to 20 productive minutes a game.
At this point in his career, Thompson cannot be depended on to play that many minutes on a regular basis. He hasn’t averaged at least 17 minutes a game since the 2020-21 campaign, and he may be best off in the 10-15 minute a game range.
In addition, if Los Angeles can find a better option at the backup 5 spot for the veteran’s minimum salary, especially someone who is a little younger, then it may say goodbye to Thompson.
